And Then He was Gone
by Virgin Oracle
Summary: My interpretation on the day Percy goes missing, and Annabeth's reaction. Annabeth's POV. Pre-TLH. I welcome constructive criticism and reviews!


**My own take on the day of Percy's disappearance. TLH timeline**. **I make a brief reference to a story by greenconverses, "Four Times Percy and Annabeth Almost had Sex," which is excellent by the way.  
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><p>Annabeth is curious. Breakfast is almost over. Most of the campers have already dispersed from their tables, commencing the day's various activities. Percy however, has failed to appear for one of his favorite times of the day. Annabeth knows how much he likes to eat, and specifically how much he likes blueberry pancakes, which had been served today. He would have ordered them blue.<p>

She makes her way around to all the other tables, asking the sundry friends who remained if they had seen him. All answer negatively, none seem worried. The Stoll brothers snicker conspiratorially when she asks. Travis mutters something about her seeing Percy last, and she knows he isn't insinuating this morning. They scatter, laughing impishly when she takes a swipe at them.

Maybe he slept in, she tells herself. _After all, the Stolls aren't wrong. We did have a late night_.

Of course, the late night had consisted of her sneaking over to his cabin (well after curfew) under the invisible discretion of her Yankees cap. They had passed the evening quietly enjoying each other's company, she reading a book and he napping with his head in her lap. Well, it had been quiet until he had received a late night spurt of energy and coaxed her into a...vigorous make out session.

One thing led to another, and pretty soon after that Percy had ducked his head below the covers of his bunk and pleasured her so thoroughly that he left her head spinning as she groaned his name. She smiles now as she remembers it, then blushes when she realizes that she's still at the dining pavilion.

He had improved since that one encounter at her boarding school, when he had inexplicably been turned on by that ugly plaid school uniform and gone down on her for the first time. They were still both very new to this sort of interaction, so there had been plenty of laughter and teasing banter as he tried to navigate her. But she had loved every moment of it, even when things he tried didn't work. He looked so cute when he was frustrated and flustered, or as he said in the heat of the moment, _flustrated_.

He hadn't let her return the favor, and instead had insisted on walking her back to her cabin once they had settled down.

Then came the lingering kiss he had given her outside her cabin door. Deep, long, and sweet. It had been chilled (it is December after all in upstate New York, even though the Camp's valley is conveniently temperature-controlled) and when they broke apart the steam of their breaths had merged into one column of grey mist, swirling around their faces. Even now, thinking about it sends a rush of warmth through her.

All in all it was one of their best evenings together; they had been able to enjoy each other's company in ways that being a demigod rarely allowed. And it had been _very_ late when he returned to his cabin. So it would be unusual, but understandable, if he had slept in through breakfast.

Only he hadn't. His cabin is entirely empty. Worry starts to pique at the back of her mind, but she suppresses it and reasons that he might have gone to the beach. Seaweed Brain that he is, he might have gone for a swim and lost track of the time. Just as likely he might have decided to take an early ride on Blackjack, or go for a walk with Mrs. O'Leary.

She swallows her worry and decides to just wait a while longer. He's bound to show up, red-faced and embarrassed at his lack of tactful timekeeping.

After an hour's passing without a trace of Percy, Annabeth lets the worry kick her into action. She sends a couple of her younger siblings to check the lake and Pegasii stables, another to alert Chiron, while she makes her way down to the beach to check for him herself.

By the time she returns from the beach, where the only sign of him had been the trace remains of the sandcastle they had built the afternoon previously, panic is starting to frame her thoughts.

She goes back to his cabin for another look around. He might have left a note explaining his absence, and she, in her haste, simply hadn't noticed it earlier. But now, as she steps in through the low-hanging door and allows her eyes to scour the interior, several details give her pause.

His shoes are still thrown where he normally kicks them off by the door. His Goode High School sweatshirt is likewise bundled into its customary pile next to the shoes. But his bed appears exactly as it did when she left. The sheets are unchanged and the bunching patterns gave no indication that it had been used for actual sleeping. He had never returned to his bunk, but he had come back into his cabin. Whatever happened to him, it had occurred here.

Fear grips her heart. She is bewildered, and she hates not understanding. What, or who, could have snuck into camp undetected and pulled a strong, talented fighter like Percy from his cabin without so much as a broken window? Peleus, the dragon guarding Thalia's pine, hadn't so much as growled last night. And none of their protective wards or defensive charms around the Camp had been breached. The barriers are impenetrable to all monsters. The most likely beings responsible for this are demigods, other halfbloods, and...Annabeth gasps. Olympians!

Is it possible a god is behind this? That would explain the magic involved to get in past the dragon at Thalia's tree and Argus. Zeus knows plenty of the gods have some harbored annoyance or resentment against her boyfriend. But the only ones who would be bold enough to so brazenly steal a son of the Big Three would be Ares or ... Annabeth scowls to herself. _Hera!_ Perhaps the queen of the gods had something to do with it. She's never been known to be particularly kind to demigods, and she can't be that fond of Annabeth's boyfriend, simply because he is _her_ boyfriend.

Right now, the Olympian theory seems most likely to Annabeth, but this doesn't necessarily make her any less uncomfortable. While Hera _might_ not want to kill the son of the Earthshaker, who knows what she might have taken him for. Of course, it may not even be Hera who took him. After their victory over Kronos this summer, and Zeus's proclamation that Percy be known as the "savior of Olympus", his wife had (mostly) left them in peace. Annabeth still occasionally 'happens upon' suspiciously placed cow patties, but the Queen goddess has never been known to just let grudges fade that easily. It's maddeningly uncertain, but its the only option that seems even halfway plausible.

She spends the whole day searching out whatever corners of camp that he might be hidden, even hopping on Blackjack to scan the forests outside the camp's perimeter. Not so much as a footprint.

At the campfire that evening, Chiron makes the sorrowful announcement that Percy has gone missing. There's a outburst of muttering and cries. Several turn their gazes towards Annabeth, but she maintains (what she hopes is) a stoic face, turned towards the centaur and doggedly avoiding any eye contact with other campers. Chiron continues to say that the next day the whole camp will engage in search parties. The woods will be combed again, every inch of the beaches leading away from camp searched, the mortals' county roads will be explored via Pegasii.

Several campers take sideways glances at her and then avert their eyes. A few of her friends come to give her reassurances, reminding her that Percy is most likely totally fine. Travis suggests that Poseidon has taken Percy on a surprise fishing trip. Annabeth makes a mental note to send an IM to Tyson and ask about the possibility. But she thinks it unlikely. Percy would not have left her without saying goodbye, or at least leaving a note.

Of all the campers, only her own siblings have neglected to give her any of their own confidences. She doesn't blame them though. _They know what will fate most likely awaits a demigod that has gone 'missing.' They don't want to lead me into any sort of false hope._

She watches the last bit of sunlight sink below the tip of Thalia's tree. _But this is Percy. He has his curse of Achilles. He has Riptide. _Logically, she knows that he has a better chance of surviving...well whatever it is he is facing, more than most demigods. But internally, her heart beats quick and erratic with anxiety.

After everyone else has left the dining pavilion. Annabeth approaches Chiron.

"Do you think we can try to contact Olympus?" she asks. "I have a idea, a suspicion of who...uh, I mean what happened to Percy. I need to talk to the gods, or my mother at the very least."

Chiron shakes his head grimly. "I'm afraid communication with Olympus has been hitherto cut off."

She stares at him, stunned. "Excuse me? Cut off? Why?"

Her mentor raises his head towards the stars, as if in thought. "Zeus doesn't usually bother to give me reasons for why or how he relates with demigods. But I think it is safe to say that he hasn't approved of the increased interaction between the Olympians and their mortal children since Mr. Jackson forced them to do so this summer."

Annabeth waited for him to continue. Pregnant pauses have always yielded better answers for her.

Chiron sighed, "I know it hasn't escaped your attention that Mr. D has been recalled from the camp indefinitely."

She nods "Any indication of when he will be back? We might be able to ask him..."

Chiron shakes his head firmly at her, halting her words. "I don't know when Mr. D will be back, if ever Annabeth. As far as I can discern, there has been some great disturbance in the balance of power on Olympus. Whether it is due to their promise as of late, or something profoundly more...disturbing, I cannot say. But I think you had better search for answers about Perseus elsewhere."

Anger flares in her chest. "How _could_ they? Less than 6 month ago Percy made them _swear_ on the River Styx to be better parents to us! I know gods aren't particularly predisposed to keeping their oaths Chiron, but really? _Now?! Godsdamnit, WHY?!__" _The the mix of sorrow and regret on the centaur's long face quiets her and she realizes just how loudly she was yelling at him. Of course he understood the gods. He has been practically raising their children for over two thousand years.

"I'm sorry." She hangs her head, tears prickling the corners of her eyes. "It's just...Chiron, he, I mean, we, barely survived the battle with the Titans this summer. It's so unfair. You'd think they would have given him some time alone..." _Alone with me_ she thought bitterly. "After all he's been through, don't you think he deserves some happiness?"

She didn't realize the tears were flowing until she lets out an involuntary sob. Chiron opens his arms and she flies into them, hugging his equine chest as hard as she can. He grunts, but lets her cling to him as long as she needs.

Eventually, once her sobs have succumbed to hiccups, Chiron clears his throat (which came out as something of a comforting nicker), "Now my dear, we don't know anything yet. There's many things that might have happened last night, so it would not do for us to jump to conclusions. We'll continue and broaden our search tomorrow. Until then, you'd best try and get some sleep." He nudges her in the direction of the cabins. "We've got a big day ahead of us."

The centaur watched Annabeth as she faded into the darkness towards the cabins. Then he pawed the ground in suppressed anger and glared at the sky. _Tragic hero story indeed. These kids deserve better Zeus, after all they've done for Olympus_. Thunder rumbled. _Go ahead old man, go ahead. _Nothing happened. Chiron lowered his eyes, swished his tail in agitation once more, then turned towards the Big House.

Annabeth trudges towards the Cabin Six, but then pauses. She doesn't think she can bring herself to sleep in the Athena cabin tonight under the forlorn glances of her siblings. They're all too smart for their own good, she grumbles. So instead, she adjusts her feet and heads towards the dark door of Cabin Three.

The inside is how it always is, cool and with the faint aromas of salt and shifting ocean air. She closes her eyes and imagines Percy's laugh filling the recesses of the room, as it had the night before. In the dresser, she finds a dirty shirt of Percy's and slips it over the pillow. She knows she ought to change the sheets, but for some illogical reason she can't bring herself to. Instead she lays an extra blanket down and then tucks herself into Percy's covers.

Tomorrow she would travel to Manhattan and try to talk with Olympus in person. They couldn't lock out their head architect, wouldn't they?

Sleep doesn't come to her easily; but when it finally seals her eyes closed and soothes her breaths, a final thought, a prayer really, slips through her mind.

_Please come back to me, Seaweed Brain._


End file.
